


How to Say “Fuck You” in Flowers

by ruffalove



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Brian Banner is an Abusive Bitch, Brucenat Sucks, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-07-25 02:53:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 4,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16188569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruffalove/pseuds/ruffalove
Summary: It all started with a small cut and a couple of geraniums.TW// minor blood (a few lines in chapters 2 and 3) and mentions of abusive childhood in chapters 5 and 6





	1. 8:19 PM

Bruce strolled along a quiet New York street, pulling the bag slung over his shoulder closer to him as he walked past a dark alley. He felt his phone buzz in the pocket of his worn jeans, and pulled it out. His mouth turned up at the corners when he saw that Natasha was the sender, but as he read the message his smile sunk into a frown.

 

_ I don’t think this is going to work anymore _ .

 

“What?” he said, more loudly than he should have, attracting attention from others journeying down the avenue.

 

He broke into a brisk jog, turning the corner and sprinting up the stairs of his apartment building. When he reached the apartment that he shared with Nat, he fumbled with his keys and unlocked the door, opening it a little harder than he had to.

 

His red-haired (ex?)-girlfriend stood in the small hallway, a bored look on her face. She was always wearing that expression nowadays.

 

He held up the phone, displaying the nine words that were ending a four-year relationship. “Care to explain?”

 

Natasha crossed her arms. “What? Did I not make myself clear?”

 

Bruce shook his head, laughing in disbelief. “No, you made yourself plenty clear. But.. why? Nat, we can make this work. You just have to put in the work.”

 

She threw up her arms in frustration. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don’t want to put in the work? I knew you would turn this into some big thing, that’s why I texted you.”

 

Bruce could feel his face heating, and he dug his fingernails into his palms to try and calm himself down. “ _ Some big thing _ ? Natasha, what was this to you? ‘Cause for me it was a four year relationship that I put a lot of effort into. It was a  _ big thing _ to me, and I thought it was the same for you. Please, Nat, I love--”

 

He was cut off by a stinging slap to the face, delivered by the person who once promised she’d never hurt him. So much for that. Nat grabbed her purse and keys from the tiny kitchen counter. “You never loved me. You loved your work. Sharon and I are coming over Wednesday to get the rest of my stuff. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t be there. Goodbye, Bruce.” She slammed the door so hard it made the apartment shake, leaving Bruce with a red mark on his left cheek.


	2. 9:34 PM

Thor pulled the white linen curtain over the shop door and flicked the OPEN sign switch to off. As he walked towards the back door, he was stopped by a slap across the face. He brought a hand to his left cheek, wincing. When he looked around, the source of the hit was nowhere to be found.

 

“What.. the fuck,” he muttered, then shrugged. He grabbed some ice from the mini fridge in the small back room and left out the back door.

 

When he got to the apartment where he lived alone, Thor threw down his bag with a sigh and trudged into his kitchen. Pressing an ice pack to his face with one hand while peering into his sparse fridge with the other, his eyes darted around each near-empty shelf until they landed on a ripe apple next to some week-old shawarma. He grabbed it and tossed it onto the counter, pulled a knife from the drawer and attempted to slice the apple. Accidentally giving himself a cut, he let out a “Shit!” and dropped the ice pack on the floor, sticking his right index finger in his mouth and rushing for the sink. He winced again as he ran his finger under the water, watching the clear liquid turn red and swirl down the drain.


	3. Chapter 3

Bruce’s alarm clock beeped angrily, and he rolled over, attempting to shut it off. When he slammed the snooze button, a new cut on his right index finger pulsed indignantly. He sat up and looked at it, forcing himself to wake up enough to walk into the bathroom and search for a Band-Aid. He cursed under his breath when he couldn’t find one, but he was already running late. He wrapped a paper towel around the cut, slung his satchel over his shoulder and started towards the door. As he passed the counter, something caught his eye. It was a bouquet of daisies that he had gotten for Nat a few weeks before. The flowers were now wilted, but they gave Bruce an idea. He smiled and stepped out the door. He had somewhere to be.

 

Not twenty minutes later, Bruce walked into a flower shop on the corner of a busy street. He walked up to the counter, running a hand through his curly hair, and made a request. 

 

“Hey, would you possibly know how to say fuck you in flowers? And also maybe have a Band-Aid?”

 

The florist grinned and nodded. “Yes! Finally!” Noticing the quizzical look Bruce was giving him, the tall blonde rushed to add, “Not the Band-Aid part. Just.. I’ve been waiting a long time for someone to ask me for a Fuck You bouquet. I’m sorry you need a Band-Aid, are you okay?”

 

Bruce smiled. “I’m fine, I just have a little cut on my finger.”

 

The florist tightened his green apron and knelt down, rifling through some boxes that were piled up behind the counter. Bruce heard a few things crash and fall before he popped back up, holding out a flesh-colored Band-Aid. Bruce accepted it gratefully and stuck it on as the other man turned around, staring at the flowers lining his wall. 

 

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and threw a look over his shoulder at Bruce. “I’m Thor, by the way. My parents were like.. way into Norse mythology or something. Don’t ask.”

 

Bruce chuckled. “I wasn’t going to, but it’s very nice to meet you, Thor. I’m Bruce. Bruce Banner.”

 

Recognition dawned on Thor’s face. “Hey, you wrote those papers on radiophysics, right? Damn, those things were fun to read.”

 

“I’m not sure anyone’s ever said that about my papers before--” Bruce began, but Thor was already flying back and forth between baskets of flowers, whispering to himself and plucking flowers from certain baskets.

 

“Let’s see.. Geraniums for stupidity,” Thor grabbed some red flowers from one of the top baskets and continued.

 

“Foxglove for insincerity.” A few lavender flowers that looked like fingers of a glove were added to the bouquet.

 

“Hmm.. Oh! Meadowsweet for uselessness.” Delicate creamy-white clustered flowers were placed next to the geraniums.

 

“Orange lilies for hate...” Fiery orange blooms took the center of the bouquet.

 

Thor plucked one or two more yellow blossoms from a lower basket, stuck them into the bouquet, deftly wrapped a paper around the stems, and held the bouquet out to Bruce. “And yellow carnations to say, ‘You have disappointed me.’ Here you go!”

 

Bruce reached out and took the bouquet, a look of awe on his face at the speed and skill of this amazing florist. “Wow. Um, yeah, um, thanks!” He reached into his bag, but Thor put his hand out. 

 

“Wait,” he said, smiling slyly. “You don’t have to pay for it if you let me do one little thing.”

 

Bruce set his elbow on the counter and rested his head in his hand, looking questioningly at Thor. “What did you have in mind?”


	4. 10:36 PM

The two men sat in a black car across the street from Sharon Carter’s house, almost giddy with excitement. Bruce stepped out of the car and pulled the infamous bouquet out of the backseat. Thor hopped out of the driver’s seat and joined him in standing in the cold, staring at the house across from them. Bruce took a deep breath, and another, then pulled his shoulders back and started walking, Thor close behind.

 

Thor pushed the doorbell and a melodic chime rang inside the house, making Bruce’s heart beat faster. The door swung open to reveal Natasha and Sharon, wearing very confused looks. 

 

Natasha looked unamused, picking at her nails as she asked, “Bruce, what are you doing here? And who’s your friend?”

 

Thor spoke up. “ _ His friend _ , who can speak for himself, is Thor Odinson. Me and Bruce have something special for you.” He nodded at Bruce, who held out the bouquet, fighting to keep back a smile.

 

“This is for you,” Bruce said. “But, you know, if I was you?”

 

“I wouldn’t look up the meanings to those flowers.” Thor and Bruce recited in unison, then ran, leaving Sharon and Nat to share a puzzled look and close the door.

 

“Go, go, go!” Bruce laughed as he jumped into the passenger seat. Thor turned on the car and pulled out more quickly than he probably should have, driving out of the neighborhood as fast as he could.


	5. 11:06 PM

As soon as they were a reasonable distance from Natasha and Sharon and The Great Fuck You Bouquet, Thor turned to Bruce and asked, “Where to?”

Bruce shrugged. “I don’t really care. My apartment’s been pretty lonely since Nat left, and it’s only 11.”

A smile spread across Thor’s face. “Good. I know somewhere we can go.”

Minutes later, they pulled up to a brightly lit frozen yogurt place on the corner of a dark street. Surprisingly, the avenue was mostly empty despite the relatively early time. Bruce couldn’t help but smile. 

“Come on!” Thor laughed, throwing his head back as he pushed open the store door, stepping in and holding it open with a dramatic hand gesture. Bruce responded in form by walking through the doorway and bowing with a flourish. The two grinned at each other, making eye contact for the smallest of moments before Thor looked away, biting his lip. Bruce blushed and walked over to the empty yogurt cups to prevent further awkwardness. He grabbed one at random and studied the different flavors, stroking his chin unconsciously. 

Thor joined him at the yogurt machines, breezing past to grab some blueberry yogurt. Bruce cocked an eyebrow. “So you’re a blueberry guy, huh?”

Thor gave him a crooked smile. “No, I’m just trying to impress you.”

“Well, you kind of failed.” Thor’s face dropped at that, and Bruce rushed to finish. “I prefer apple.”

Thor’s smile returned, and he grabbed another cup. Bruce happened to be standing in front of the apple yogurt, and Thor walked up behind him. His breath was hot on Bruce’s neck as he reached around him to set the cup down and push the button that sent the yogurt into the cup. “Sorry.”

Bruce glanced over his shoulder, trying to breathe correctly. “It-it’s okay.” Not wanting Thor to move for some reason, he held out his cup. “Could you, um, fill up mine too?” 

Thor nodded and took it, trying to ignore the way their fingers brushed (and epically failing). 

After they had gotten their frozen yogurt and paid (Thor insisted on footing the bill), the new friends made their way to a corner table for two. Bruce immediately started eating, but ate a little too fast and bit his tongue. He recoiled, wincing, but the pain stopped for a second as he noticed Thor wince at the same time. 

“Are you okay?” he anxiously asked. Thor nodded in response, looking like he was still in pain. Come to think of it, Bruce’s tongue still throbbed as well. 

After a second, Thor gave a verbal answer. “I’m fine, I just felt like I bit my tongue even though I didn’t actually bite my tongue. Sorry, that doesn’t make any sense.”

Realization began to dawn on Bruce, and his face went pale. “Wait—no, this can’t. It can’t be true. No, no, no.”

Thor was still in the dark. “What’s wrong, Bruce?”

“Last night, at around 9:30, did you feel like you got slapped even though there was no one around?” Bruce asked urgently. 

“Why?” Thor countered. 

Bruce stood up and ran his hands through his hair, looking distraught. “Just answer the question. Please.”

“I mean, yeah? Stuff like that happens to me all the time. I feel some kind of pain or something but when I look around, no one’s ever around.” As he said it, Thor made the connection. “You—oh. So we’re—I mean I—Wait. What? Wait, no, Bruce—“

Tears filled Bruce’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” After letting out that last whisper, he turned and ran out of the frozen yogurt store, attracting attention from the other people eating their yogurt. 

As he watched Bruce go, it all made sense. And as it all made sense, Thor sucked in a sharp breath. Now it was him with tears in his eyes, running his hands through his hair. “God, Bruce.” He pulled his coat off of his chair and pushed open the door, leaving two full cups of yogurt sitting at an empty table.


	6. 1:14 AM

Thor had been driving down every street in NYC for at least an hour. He ran a hand across his face, trying not to think about the thoughts that were attacking his calm facade, threatening to break through. No, he had to stay strong. It wasn’t safe for Bruce to be out here all alone in his current state. 

 

Just as he was about to give up, he drove past a small park. He noticed a figure huddled under the small bridge that overlooked a tiny stream, and did a double-take. He realized it was Bruce and cursed under his breath, driving over the green turf haphazardly and parking there. Stepping out of the car, he pulled his coat off and ran towards the small shadow leaning against the stone bridge.

 

When he reached Bruce, Thor reached out to drape his jacket over the other man’s shoulders. As his fingers brushed Bruce’s arms, Bruce recoiled. Thor backed away too, apologizing over and over again. They were both crying now. 

 

“Why are you still here?” Bruce wondered, almost silently. 

 

“What?” Thor ran his thumbs under his eyes, flicking away stray tears. 

 

Bruce gritted his teeth. “Why. Are. You. Still. Here. Everything bad that has ever happened to you was my fault. Every time you got hurt. It’s because of me.”

 

Thor looked away, an expression of pure anguish spreading across his face as he remembered every time he felt a kick in the stomach when no one was around, or a hit to the side of his head while he was trying to do homework. A couple of times he had been hurt so bad he had to go to the emergency room, feeling a little piece of him die every time a doctor gave him a concerned, unbelieving look when he tried to tell them that he wasn’t being hurt at home, that his parents would never do that. Of course it had dawned on him now that some parents  _ do _ do that. There was nothing you could say to undo that, was there?

 

“I’m so, so sorry, Bruce. It wasn’t your fault—“ Thor breathed, but Bruce cut him off abruptly. 

 

“But it was! All of it! I don’t think you understand, Thor.” Bruce paused, looking distraught and terrified. “My mother is  _ dead _ . My father killed her. And it’s my fault.”

 

“How could it be—“ Thor tried again, but was interrupted by an increasingly angry Bruce. 

 

“Because I’m a monster!” At this Bruce laughed mirthlessly. “I’m a monster. My father knew it too, that’s why he always—he was a monster like me. You know, I was fine when he hurt me. At least when he hurt me, he wasn’t hurting her. But now? She’s the one who got hurt in the end, and so did you. God, I’m so sorry. I can’t—you shouldn’t be here. You’ll get hurt again, and I can’t let that happen.”

 

Thor reached out, then pulled his hand back before it made contact with Bruce. He bit his lip, trying to keep more tears from falling. “Is that—is that what you really want? He can’t hurt you anymore, Bruce. He’s gone.”

 

Bruce shook his head and swallowed hard, standing up and shaking Thor’s coat off. “He’s never gone. I don’t want—“ He paused to glance up at the starry sky. “I haven’t known you very long, but losing you is the opposite of what I want. I have to though, because you need to be safe. Keep your distance from me, okay? I can’t give you what you deserve. I couldn’t even give Nat what she deserves. Goodbye, Thor.” With that, he stepped past Thor and walked away, disappearing into the suddenly chilly night. 


	7. A Few Weeks Later, 10:22 AM

Thor checked his phone, making sure that the apartment building Natasha had texted him was the correct one. Hoping that it was, he took a deep breath and made his way up the steep flights of stairs leading to Bruce’s apartment. Clutching a small bouquet in his hand, he fumbled to pull a handwritten note out of his pocket and place it in the middle of the flowers. He knocked on the door, but got no response; he set the flowers down outside the empty apartment and walked away, only one man on his mind. 


	8. 10:36 AM

Bruce had heard the knock on the door a few minutes before, but knew it wasn’t a good idea to answer it. There was only one person who cared enough to knock on that door. 

 

Still, his curiosity later got the better of him and he couldn’t help check and see if Thor was still there. He wasn’t, but something was sitting on the floor. Bruce looked down in surprise, and picked up the bundle of flowers. As he brought them to his nose and inhaled deeply, his cheek brushed a card in the midst of the fragrant blossoms. He plucked it from the petals and unfolded it eagerly—no, not eagerly. Hopefully. 

 

His eyes scanned the short message, written in the swirly script of one Thor Odinson. 

 

_ Hey, Banner. I know you said to leave you alone, but I can’t. So I’m trying to make it up to you the only way I know how. Chrysanthemums for optimism. Myrtle pepper for compassion. Peruvian lilies for friendship. Irises for…hope. None of this is your fault. I’m here. (212)101-0180 _

 

_ ~Thor  _

 

Bruce gasped, and looked at the bouquet again. Thor really did care. Before he could stop himself, he pulled out his phone and shot off a quick message. Looking at the screen and then back at the note, he sighed. “Might as well find a place for these flowers instead of obsessing over a response.”


	9. 10:57 AM

Stepping out of the building, Thor shoved his hands into his pockets, puffing out breaths of warm air that coiled through the cold surrounding him. He heard his phone ding and hurriedly pulled it out. As he looked at the message, a grin spread across his face.

 

_ So you don’t hate me? _

 

He rushed to text back.

 

_ I could never. _

 

As he sent it, he received a response almost instantaneously.

 

_ If that’s the case, come to my lab. Next to Stark’s tower.  _

 

Thor’s smile stretched even wider, and he looked up at the blue fall sky. He punched a fist into the air, almost skipping to his car.


	10. 11:43 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is for izzy and izzy ONLY. thank you.

Bruce peered into the viewfinder of a microscope, adjusting a knob on the side and smiling in satisfaction as the slide came into focus. He heard a knock at the lab door, and stepped away from the microscope. Before opening the door, he checked his reflection in the side of a Bunsen burner and straightened his crooked glasses. He smiled, and opened the door to greet the tall florist standing in the hall. “Hey.”

 

Thor gave a small wave, but was inhibited by the giant bag of Cape Cod chips in his hands. “Sorry, I would wave bigger but I, um, brought snacks. For us. I’m not really sure if I’m supposed to eat in here, though. Sorry. And-- actually, I’m just going to stop talking now.”

 

Bruce laughed melodiously, and held open the door so that Thor could step inside the lab and set down the chips. “It’s totally fine to eat in here. Don’t tell Tony, but sometimes I use the Bunsen burner to make Ramen at 3 in the morning when I work late.”

 

Thor shook his head. “Yeah, I still can’t believe that you know  _ the _ Tony Stark. And don’t worry. My lips are  _ sealed _ .” He mimed zipping up his lips and throwing away an imaginary key. “For the moment, at least. I can’t make any promises.”

 

At that, Bruce looked away and blushed. Bruce Banner didn’t  _ blush _ at innuendos. What was this guy doing to him? 


	11. 7:09 PM

Bruce didn’t get much work done that afternoon. By the time the sun had set outside, he and Thor were sprawled across one of the metal tables in the lab, munching on chips and talking about shitty dads. He hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

 

The bag of chips was in between the two, and when they turned to reach for it at the same time, they found themselves nose to nose. There was barely enough space for them to breathe, but neither of them were doing much breathing anyway. The only sound in the room was the gentle buzz of machinery and air conditioning.

 

Thor hesitated, then reached out to tuck a curly piece of hair behind Bruce’s ear. Bruce’s breath caught in his throat, unsure of how to proceed. He glanced at the hand still resting on his shoulder, and tentatively reached out to take it in his hand. They stayed like that for a while, content but also tense; like it was possible to end the moment as fast as a pin could pop a colorful balloon.

 

After a few minutes of silence, Bruce spoke. “Look, Thor..”

 

Thor blinked twice, rubbing circles into the scientist’s hand with his thumb. “What is it?”

 

Bruce was silent again, thinking. His eyes kept darting towards Thor’s lips, which made it hard for Thor to focus on anything except not falling off the table. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it), he fell off the table, dragging Bruce with him.

 

They landed with a grunt on the cold floor, one on top of the other. Thor started to prop himself up, embarrassed, but stopped short when he noticed Bruce staring at him. It wasn’t a creepy stare, though. It was a.. beginning. An introduction. An invitation, which Thor gladly accepted. 

 

Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and touched his lips to Bruce’s. Bruce leaned into him for a few sweet moments, then pulled away. “I’m sorry. I-I thought I was ready, but I’m not.”

 

Thor smiled, a little dazed. “No, no, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I can wait. Bruce Banner, for you? I’ve got all the time in the world.” With that, he stood up and brushed himself off, offering a hand to the man on the floor. “Want some more chips?”


	12. A MONTH LATER, THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER, 3:17 PM

Bruce cleared his throat, looking through some files in a cabinet in his lab. The information he was searching for was nowhere to be found, but he came across a mysterious green envelope hidden among the manila folders. He cocked his head to the left in confusion, and pulled it out, sliding his finger under the loosely attached flap. Tucked inside was a small note, written in neat cursive. He had been getting quite a few of them lately, but he wasn’t upset about it. They usually led to a new experience, and an amazing afternoon spent with one of the only people he actually liked anymore.

 

_ There’s a flower festival on the 14th. Want to come? We could try fro-yo again afterwards, if you want. Meet me at 5 at the flower shop and we can ride together. :) _

 

_ ~Thor _

 

Bruce grinned, checking his watch. It was the 14th of October, and he had a date tonight.


	13. 5:23 PM

Thor and Bruce had met under the green awning of the flower shop twenty minutes ago, exchanging surprisingly shy hellos before getting in Thor’s car and heading to the festival.

 

The festival itself was located in a large field next to a rural farm. In addition to more species of flowers than Bruce had ever seen all at once, there were attractions like hayrides and a corn maze. The centerpiece of it all was an enormous arrangement of flowers and fall vegetables enveloped in a large, golden cornucopia. People of all ages strolled through the rows and rows of flowers, and children cheered as they rode on bumpy wagons filled with hay. Bruce stepped out of the car and smiled, reaching out to take Thor’s hand. 

 

It was then that Bruce noticed the basket hooked around Thor’s right arm. He pointed to it and asked, “What’s that for?” Thor gave him a crooked grin and started towards the mint.

 

Thor walked up to a woman selling what looked like balls of green blooms, and asked her for a price. She responded with an amount that seemed to please him, so he handed her a few bills and placed three of the blooms into his basket. Glancing over his shoulder, he explained to Bruce, “I thought you would maybe want a bouquet that didn’t mean Fuck You this time. These are balls of Ireland. For luck.”

 

Bruce leaned forward to smell them. “Wow, those are.. minty. I love it.”

 

Thor shrugged his shoulders. “They do have a strong smell, but it’s okay. Oh, there’s a couple of other ones I wanted to put in too.” He left the mint stand and headed towards a rose stand. 

 

Bruce rolled his eyes at the cliche, but was shocked when, instead of grabbing ruby red roses, Thor plucked a few lilac roses from a small basket previously unnoticed by the scientist. He turned on his heels and held them out for Bruce to sniff. They smelled different from other roses. If Bruce had been a more poetic person, he might have said that they smelled like the nostalgia of walking through an old elementary school, or like the feeling of stepping out into daylight after hours in a chilly movie theater. But he wasn’t, so he stuck with “Those are not what I expected. I mean, they’re better. Than what I expected.” He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Can I--can I add the last couple flowers?”

 

A smile spread across Thor’s face, and it wouldn’t be the last that night. “There’s nothing I would love more.”

 

“Great.” Bruce took Thor’s hand again and dragged him towards the sunflowers. 

 

After they had chosen the brightest, biggest sunflowers from the many baskets sitting under a shady tent, Thor arranged the flowers, wrapped them with a piece of newspaper, secured it with twine, and presented the finished bouquet to Bruce with a flourish. Bruce accepted it and thanked him dramatically, recalling a similar exchange outside a fro-yo place only a few months before. That night felt so far away now.

 

Thor spotted kids hopping off of a hayride that seemed to have just finished, and looked at Bruce questioningly. Bruce nodded, and the two started running in order to get there in time.

 

The hayride was expensive, and bumpy. The bumps turned out to work in their favor, however, because it gave the two excuses to “accidentally” get closer--to keep from falling off, of course. No other reason. As the ride continued, it became smoother, but Bruce and Thor stayed together, shoulder to shoulder, silent. It was strange, usually Thor was always talking, trying to drown out the feeling of being ignored; but with Bruce, even quiet was comforting. When they were together, everything felt.. natural. Unscripted. Easy. 

 

That’s why when Bruce turned to Thor and ran the back of his palm against the florist’s cheek, he knew what he had to do, and he was happy with it. He was ready. So he leaned in, as Thor had a month before, and kissed him, slow and sure. Thor pulled back for a second, sending Bruce’s heart racing, but all he asked was, “Are you sure?”

 

Bruce nodded. “I’ve never been more sure about anything,” and he pulled him closer, not even noticing a single sunflower fall out of the bouquet he had been gifted. It floated down from the tall wagon and lay still in the dirt path. If the sunflower could talk, it would have told you about how it watched two men grow farther and farther away from it, tangled together in a knot of confusion and complication and  _ love _ . It would have whispered to you that it was sad to see them go, sad that it would never have a place in a vase where it could watch them grow as it grew. You would have been able to hear the smile in its voice as it spoke.

  
But of course, sunflowers can’t speak. They can only lay, unmoving, waiting for the breeze to pick them up and whisk them away to a place where they will be safe, and  _ loved _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this fic! It’s much longer than I expected it to be, but I’m so grateful for anyone who read it! I hope you enjoyed it :)


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